This invention relates generally to securing spare tires to vehicles and more specifically to an anti-theft device for hoist mounted spare tires mounted to the underside of a vehicle.
Pick-up trucks and other vehicles are often equipped with a spare tire hoist mechanism for storing the spare tire against the undercarriage of the vehicle near the rear portion of the vehicle. The hoist mechanism includes basically a bracket, a cable, a winch, and a winch-actuating tube. The spare tire is supported by the bracket with one end of the cable fastened to the bracket and the other end of the cable attached to the winch. The bracket embraces the spare tire through the center hole of the rim. The tube is used to turn the winch, which winds up the cable thus lifting the spare tire up to the undercarriage of the vehicle. Reversing this process allows the spare tire to be lowered so that it can be removed for use.
To access the tube, there is a hole in the rear bumper of the vehicle. By inserting a lug wrench or similar type wrench through the hole in the bumper and into the tube, an operator can raise and lower the spare tire from a position behind the vehicle. Lug wrenches are typically provided with vehicles, the lug wrenches including a flattened end for engaging the end of the tube and also including a laterally extending portion acting as a handle to provide leverage for rotating the tube.
Thefts of spare tires from vehicles using the above described spare tire storage mechanism are very common since the hoist can be easily lowered and the spare tire removed all within a relatively short time interval. To deter such thefts, a number of different locking devices have been developed. These devices usually prevent access to the tube or prevent the tube from being rotated. However known locking devices are cumbersome to install and/or use, and typically require that the operator access them from under the vehicle before the spare tire can be removed. This is undesirable since this area of the vehicle tends to be very messy from the mud, dirt, and other debris that inherently collect on the vehicle rear underbody surfaces. Further, the environment under the vehicle in the rear is particularly corrosive and prone to accelerate rust, corrosion, and other chemical damage such that many known locking systems, particularly those with parts that must move relative to each other, have a relatively short service life. Still further, some known locking systems simply are too complex and/or include additional pieces that must be manipulated in order to use the locking system. Also, the additional pieces add to the overall cost of the locking system.
Thus, a locking device solving the aforementioned problems is desired.